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Valentine’s Day Through Rose Colored Glasses
Love is in the air. Strains of Bryan Adams and Meatloaf can be heard wafting down pink-laced aisles filled with heart boxes of various shapes and sizes. Wistful girls sigh as they wander aimlessly through the maze of greeting cards and jewelry. Restaurant phones begin to ring with reservations, and flower shops stock up on roses. It’s Valentine’s Day at last.
Although a widely celebrated, widely embraced holiday, many critics insist that Valentine's Day is, despite the rosy hue granted to it by Hollywood and media, highly overrated. “Nothing but a glamorized money grab!” cry the opponents of the commercialized holiday. It is referred to as a day for the lonely or, perhaps worse still, a meaningless, contrived occasion resulting in unrealistic expectations and unfair pressure.
The noble beginnings, rooted in the tale of St. Valentine, have, according to those nay sayers, been completely subverted by greedy businesses capitalizing on the romantic gullibility of consumers and on notions of traditions tied up in expensive gifts. The price of roses skyrockets, the shelves fill up with overpriced, poorly-made chocolate, and men everywhere are suddenly buckling under the pressure of being solely responsible for reading the mind of their significant other and ensuring that no unfulfilled expectations are left to spoil what is supposed to be the most romantic day of the year. But failure and disappointment, those jaded many would insist, is inevitable in a holiday that is, in its current state, designed to make money and create disappointed hopes.
All these things are true enough, but despite the shameless salesmanship of the holiday, I love Valentine's Day. I always have, even as a single girl. I love it, right from the over-priced flower display to the shelves stacked with candy-hearts to the sappy love songs written for suckers everywhere. I don’t know how you can be a hopeless romantic and not fall for all the shiny glitter and red-pinkity of the official day of love. I walk down the supermarket isle and sigh lovingly at all the cute teddy bears set up along the shelf. I imagine lacey undergarments and pink bracelets and hearted necklaces. I think of cards and valentines given out to both lovers and friends. I relive things like my first crush, my first kiss, the first time I realized I was in love. I remember romantic movies and daydreams and roses. A cold February day is warmed by nostalgia and sweet sentiments.
Yes, I am aware of the fact that love is not about reds and pinks and flowers and chocolate. Love is not found in the soft plushy fur of a big white teddy bear or the cinnamon sweetness of a candy heart. Love is, of course, about friendship, kindness, showing people you care about them - not just on a single given day of the year, but every moment you can. It's about making every day count. But perhaps Valentine's Day, in all its showy silliness, also has its place. Perhaps it's a day about celebrating the wonder of love itself - a day to think about how much love we have been given and to remember to share that love with others. After all, we appreciate our mothers every day of the year, but we still wish them a Happy Mother's Day. Therefore, cynics, I thwart your ever-so-rationale dissatisfaction, and instead once again embrace the packaged travesty that is our Valentine's Day. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone. Happy, happy Valentine's Day!
About the Author
Alyssa Thiessen is an independent writer and a high school teacher, as well as a shameless romantic. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with a major in English, a minor in History, and an undeclared minor in film, as well as a bachelor of Education, specializing in Senior Years English and History. To learn more about her writing, visit www.alyssathiessen.com
